My locale habitat for humanity reuse has a bunch of hollow core doors for next to nothing. I wanted to pick up one to use for a makeshift large desktop. However there are the hinge cutouts that would face out (using the door knob hole for cable collection).

What would be the best way to plan this down and remove the 1/8th or so of an inch just to have the door edge uniform? I was going to sand and stain the whole thing darker and poly coat it, but this hinge thing is causing me a little heart ache.

A router probably seems like the smartest tool for the job but I don't have one. at my disposal I have jigsaw, oscillating tool, dremel, RO sander...

I think it would be easier to fill those in--use the multi-tool to square up the hinge mortise--

cut a thin filler piece--glue and sand---The Home depot sells a 1/4" x 2 1/2" screen stock in the trim section---cut your self a foot or two and you are done.

Joe Carola

01-28-2012 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonanz

My locale habitat for humanity reuse has a bunch of hollow core doors for next to nothing. I wanted to pick up one to use for a makeshift large desktop. However there are the hinge cutouts that would face out (using the door knob hole for cable collection).

What would be the best way to plan this down and remove the 1/8th or so of an inch just to have the door edge uniform? I was going to sand and stain the whole thing darker and poly coat it, but this hinge thing is causing me a little heart ache.

A router probably seems like the smartest tool for the job but I don't have one. at my disposal I have jigsaw, oscillating tool, dremel, RO sander...

is there some clever way to get it done with one of these?

thanks

Use a plane.

ratherbefishing

01-28-2012 10:50 PM

You could fill with an insert as Mike said, or just run that stock all the way around and make a band around the edge. Miter the corners with a back saw and a miter box to be fancy. Stain it dark before installing to be fancy.

bonanz

01-29-2012 12:56 AM

i did think about putting some trim all the way around it, and be fancy, but I want to keep cost as low as possible (read: nothing) also that picture is not of the exact doors I would get, and I do remember on the 2 doors I was looking at (want to make 2 table tops) one side had a little damage and would have to be the side that faces down. and I'm not sure it would be as pictured above so I may not be able to wrap the trim around it without having a small gap showing between trim and table top there.

What I was thinking of doing was getting the 2 doors clamp them together and use one as a super long straight edge and just thinly slice along the straight edge either with the oscilatting tool with a flat moon type attachment (seen below) or the jigsaw. then just smooth it out with orbital sander and repeat for the other door. seems simple enough in my mind, but would that work?

A circular saw would be better,as it will give you a square edge----the multi-tools are difficult to keep square---that edge might end up looking rather wavy.

abracaboom

01-29-2012 02:53 PM

You can't get a straight, square cut with any of your tools, as Mike says.
How about salvaging one hinge, taking it apart, screwing each half to the mortises, and doing something creative with their hanging ends to justify their existence?

Joe Carola

01-29-2012 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonanz

i did think about putting some trim all the way around it, and be fancy, but I want to keep cost as low as possible (read: nothing) also that picture is not of the exact doors I would get, and I do remember on the 2 doors I was looking at (want to make 2 table tops) one side had a little damage and would have to be the side that faces down. and I'm not sure it would be as pictured above so I may not be able to wrap the trim around it without having a small gap showing between trim and table top there.

What I was thinking of doing was getting the 2 doors clamp them together and use one as a super long straight edge and just thinly slice along the straight edge either with the oscilatting tool with a flat moon type attachment (seen below) or the jigsaw. then just smooth it out with orbital sander and repeat for the other door. seems simple enough in my mind, but would that work?

Omg......all that work to plane a door down 1/8". Why not just plane it down with a hand plane. It's cheap and easy.

Hardway

01-29-2012 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Carola
(Post 837446)

Use a plane.

I agree.

Hardway

01-29-2012 03:56 PM

If you are going to try the circular saw route, draw a cut line and score the line with a sharp utility knife. It will help reduce the tear out from the blade.

Joe Carola

01-29-2012 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonanz

i did think about putting some trim all the way around it, and be fancy, but I want to keep cost as low as possible (read: nothing) also that picture is not of the exact doors I would get, and I do remember on the 2 doors I was looking at (want to make 2 table tops) one side had a little damage and would have to be the side that faces down. and I'm not sure it would be as pictured above so I may not be able to wrap the trim around it without having a small gap showing between trim and table top there.

What I was thinking of doing was getting the 2 doors clamp them together and use one as a super long straight edge and just thinly slice along the straight edge either with the oscilatting tool with a flat moon type attachment (seen below) or the jigsaw. then just smooth it out with orbital sander and repeat for the other door. seems simple enough in my mind, but would that work?

If you intend on using a straight edge. Use a circular saw. Do you have one?

bonanz

01-29-2012 04:29 PM

thanks for all the responses, i don't have a circular saw. this edge doesn't need to be perfectly straight, just since it is facing out I'd like to not have it obvious this was a reused door, so if its a little wavy I can deal with that, but I want to sand it and stain the whole door and poly it, and I think having the mortises glaring at you when you walk in the room.

maybe I should invest in a circular saw to add to my tool collection? I'm not a woodworker at all, but there have been times where I thought it might be handy to have one. I've always just been kinda hestitant to get a "real" saw like that...if I grabbed some harbor freight intro unit, is it even possible to cut that close?

user1007

01-29-2012 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Carola
(Post 838154)

Omg......all that work to plane a door down 1/8". Why not just plane it down with a hand plane. It's cheap and easy.

I have my grandfather's and my father's many planes. They look to be early cordless tools but I cannot find the right voltage charger!? Can you help?:laughing:

Joe Carola

01-29-2012 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bonanz

thanks for all the responses, i don't have a circular saw. this edge doesn't need to be perfectly straight, just since it is facing out I'd like to not have it obvious this was a reused door, so if its a little wavy I can deal with that, but I want to sand it and stain the whole door and poly it, and I think having the mortises glaring at you when you walk in the room

And?

Can you answer me about using a plane?

bonanz

01-29-2012 04:59 PM

well I don't have a plane and seems like a very specialized tool that I would probably only use in this instance. I could buy one, but correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't planing take a very long time to trim down the entire side of two doors to the level of the mortises? I've never used a plane, but for the cost looking them up quickly I'm about halfway to a HF circular saw which would probably have many more useful applications down the road for a weekend warrior and would probably get the job done in 2 seconds. I just imagine getting a plane and to level out the long sides of 2 doors taking me hours and my back killing me after and probably never having a use for them again...maybe i'm wrong about planing, but it doesn't seem like its supposed to be used to remove so much material?